Thursday, August 16, 2012

Today I found out where the original Donnybrook telephone exchange. Apparently a telephone switchboard was installed in the old Indian shop in the village of Donnybrook in the 1920's. When the shop was to be rebuilt the Post Office took the telephone switchboard out and Mrs Mingay announced to the telephone guys that she was going to have the old switchboard. They said no, but she continued. So they said they needed to take the switchboard to Pietermaritzburg to remove some parts from it. Two weeks later they delivered the switchboard to her home. I'll arrange to see this old switchboard sometime soon and will post some pics on this site for all to see.

Friday, July 20, 2012

I must apologise for the problem caused by the "Privacy" logo on the site. It suddenly decided that it was the carrier of viruses. I have removed it from this site so you should not have a "warning " when you enter the site. I do assure you that any information on this site remains here and is NEVER passed on to any third party. I do not ask for your personal details as this site is for your entertainment and interests only.

Our telephone is dead. Almost six weeks ago there was a squawking and beeping from our Telkom phone at around three o'clock in the morning. The the death rattle of our land-line. The copper miners had been at work. Four weeks later Telkom replaced the open wires just outside the village where they had been stolen. We had our telephone line back. We took advantage to call friends and relatives "Quickly, before the lines get stolen again". Two days later we had a high wind. During this wind storm we heard the telephone once again announce it's demise. Again, no service. That was nearly two weeks ago.

Tuesday we went to a presentation on satellite telephones. Expensive? Damn right it is. Definitely not in an old pensioner's budget. A plan? Yes! I spoke to a fellow who represents another company supplying GSM telephones. I have ordered one for our home. This system shares all cellular networks, choosing the best quality signal to connect to the called subscriber. The phone should be here next week. The costs? R99-00 per month plus calls. Calls? R1-22/minute to cell numbers and R0-44/minute to Telkom landlines. Cheaper than Telkom rates! So we are going to try this. There is no fixed term contract, so if you don't like it, give them one month's notice and they'll take it away. If you do like it, no set-up or installation fees. Just R99-00 + vat per month and calls! Now that to me seems a pretty good replacement for the Telkom line.. Let's see. I'll keep you updated.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

We live in exciting times in South Africa. A copper mine has opened in the Underberg district. Two weeks ago a few kilometres of telephone cable was stolen from the district leaving several subscribers without a telephone service.

There are some scrap dealers who will buy and sell anything to make a buck. They are receiving stolen Telkom property without so much as a "Where did this come from?" The perpetrators come into the district in the dead of night and cut the cables. They use a form of cable stripper to slice the cable sheath along it's length and then pull the copper conductors out. The conductors are then put into a fire which burns off the plastic insulation. The burned copper is then taken to their "Honest" scrap dealer who then sells it on for reprocessing.

Just imagine, the wiring in your car may have hung from telephone poles outside your house!

Well I have got myself set up on Skype with an account and an international telephone number. We are all going to need some sort of backup for our comms. I have been trying to organise a radio telephone link system for the farmers in the district but have been informed that I would never get licensed by ICASA. So what are Telkom going to do about this theft? Nothing! Subscribers are being told that their telephone service is discontinued as the wires have been stolen and they can apply for the 8TA Telkom cellular service! What a wonderful service provider. Of course there is a satellite telephone service but do you really want to pay R10 000-00 or so for installation and then R300-00 per month before you make calls? Nah! I'll go with Skype or, if I can, set up a VOIP telephone service here for the local community (I have the software already and just need ADSL, which I know I won't get on the farm.)

One of our ladies has this poor old Siemens magneto phone and requires a handset for it.

The details under the base of the phone are:

FG.tist.188 31U3

If anyone can help please contact e-mail me. I shall forward on any replies from all. Many thanks.

I am still looking for a user's manual for the red pay phone. It is a CKT 676 and needs to work for a living. So a manual on programming the unit is essential. I have tried contacting the manufacturers but to no avail.

Friday, October 14, 2011

There are some new pics for you to look at. And a pic of our new security equipment. We have had a theft of some of my stuff out of the workshop. Now we have installed a surprise for any would-be housebreakers. I have spent some time wiring the fence for electrification. The fence energiser is now installed in a safe area of the house. What a pity we have to live like this.

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